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A poem
23 Dec 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
I’ve gotten this poem in my inbox in one form or another since my first Christmas as a Marine. This version is my favorite. Thanks go to Zanelle who sent it my way this year because she still remembers what it means to me. Merry Christmas folks. T’was the night before Christmas, he lived all [...]
WTFO?!
5 Dec 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
Dale got a new scanner. So what does he do? He scans his class picture from first grade and sends it to me without so much as a hi or how are ya. What gives? How has our friendship been reduced to such informality? I believe he’s using the scanner as a show of his [...]
Ask a Marine
1 Dec 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
Contributed by Nick Sparacino D. Chief of Police Oak Forest Il. Former Sgt. 2/9 Viet Nam 1966 Ask a Marine what’s so special about the Marines and the answer would be “esprit de corps”, an unhelpful French phrase that means exactly what it looks like – the spirit of the Corps, but what is that [...]
Thanksgiving 2003
26 Nov 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
Until I hit junior high I was convinced that Thanksgiving was invented to keep kids’ minds off presents for another month. Outside of the classroom, everything was essentially Christmas. When the witches and ghosts came off the shelves on 1 November, the Santas and reindeer went right up. Somewhere along the line poor old Thanksgiving [...]
Rio: The aftermath
21 Nov 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
There’s something about the city of Brasilia, I can’t quite put my finger on, that I really enjoy. In spite of a rather miserable week back from Rio with a horrible head cold and plenty of accompanying green phlegm, I feel good today. I chew quietly on my French Toast and sip freshly squeezed orange [...]
The real Rio
15 Nov 2003 | One Comment | Continue reading »
I’m actually here. Yeah, sure, I’ll be standing duty for 12 of the 80 hours I’ll be here, but it’s a small price to pay for a free ride. Today is Saturday and I just began my 12 hour shift. I’ve got grand visions of getting a lot of homework done during this time but [...]
Veterans’ Day 2003
11 Nov 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
Yesterday belonged to the Corps. It was the 228th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, and it belonged to Marines past and present, family of Marines, and friends of Marines. It was our day. Today is different. Today is Veterans’ Day, and if you woke up this morning and drank a cup of coffee, [...]
228th Marine Corps Birthday
10 Nov 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
Happy birthday Marines… and Semper Fi!!! The USMC is over 227 years of romping, stomping, hell, death and destruction. The finest fighting machine the world has ever seen. We were born in a bomb crater, our mother was an M-16 and our father was the devil. Each moment that I live is an additional threat [...]
Consistently inconsistent
7 Nov 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
Once your consciousness is raised it can never be lowered. A bit of wisdom from Aunt Shirley. Thanks. You would think that after having men on the moon for over thirty years, human ingenuity could keep a stinking reliable internet connection in my room. What kind of primitive, miserable life am I really leading out [...]
Back isn’t necessarily better
6 Nov 2003 | No Comments | Continue reading »
What do they say about a rose by any other name is still a rose? Does the same hold true for speedos? I finally broke down today and decided to buy a pair, if not a generic pair, from one of the local malls. For the equivalent of a whopping $3.00, I now actually rate [...]
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Born in the year of the Dragon, the author grudgingly accepts the fact he has too many interests and not enough time. A cyclist as long as he can remember, an avid yet inconsistent writer since age eleven, and a U.S. Marine since age twenty-one, the author also adds computers, snowboarding, and motorcycles to his list of interests. Incidentally, he is aware of his inability to make a living from any but the Corps. The author accepts this as fact and remains optimistic. Feel free to drop him a line.
